Level-Specific Details
Sequenced Courses
Level I: Contemporary Germany (“Introductory German”)
Introductory German I and II: (2-semester sequence: 3 credits each) OR Intensive Basic German: (1-semester course: 6 credits)
The themes for this level are coordinated with the textbook. Additional materials that support the program’s emphasis on adult literate learners and the development of multiple literacies in all modalities–reading, listening, writing, and speaking–are incorporated into the diverse pedagogical and real-world tasks.
Note: This is the only level that selectively uses a textbook and its ancillary materials.
Level II: Experiencing the German-speaking World (“Intermediate German”)
Intermediate German I and II: (2-semester sequence: 3 credits each) OR Intensive Intermediate German: (1-semester course: 6 credits)
Theme 1: Wo ich zu Hause bin: Was heißt “Heimat”?
Theme 2: Nationalstolz – eine deutsche Debatte
Theme 3: Von Kunst bis Kitsch: die Kulturstadt Wien
Theme 4: Natur, Mensch, Umwelt
(Extensive reading: Patrick Süskind, Die Geschichte von Herrn Sommer)
Theme 5: Literatur: Märchen
Theme 6: Deutschland aus ausländischer Sicht
Level III: Stories and Histories (“Advanced German”)
Advanced German I and II: (2-semester sequence: 3 credits each) OR Intensive Advanced German: (1-semester course: 6 credits)
Deutschland nach 1945: Kriegsende, deutsche Teilung, Wiederaufbau
Zwei deutsche Staaten (1949-1989)
Der Fall der Mauer und seine Konsequenzen
Deutschland: Unterwegs zur multikulturellen Gesellschaft
(English background material: Mary Fulbrook, History of Germany in the 20th Century;
Extensive reading: Barbara Honigmann, Eine Liebe aus nichts)
Non-sequenced Courses
Level IV – Text in Context: Reading Germany
(1-semester course: 3 credits; required for majors, highly recommended for students planning to study abroad)
Von der Gegenwart der Vergangenheit (Peter Schneider, Und wenn wir nur eine Stunde gewinnen…); Hochschulreform; Mitten in Europa
Other Level IV Courses (3 credits each)
In addition to “Text in Context,” the following courses belong to Level IV:
- Issues and Trends: Topics for Oral Proficiency
- Business German: Economics (Volkswirtschaft)
- Business German: Management and Marketing (Betriebswirtschaft)
- Literature courses, offered on a rotating basis (e.g., Murder, Mystery, Madness; Liebe, Lust und Leidenschaft)
Students take at least two Level IV courses. These courses share an emphasis on discourse phenomena and textuality that is manifested differently in each course depending on the genres that are likely to occur in the specified content areas. Beyond that commonality, they set their own focus (e.g., speaking in a professional context, in public settings, and writing that reflects the approaches to and conventions of literary/cultural interpretation).
Level V (3 credits each)
The remaining courses in the German Department are designated as Level V courses. By exploring topics in 18th through 21st century German literary and cultural studies and selected topics in German linguistics, they aim to develop students’ academic literacy. The construct of “academic literacy” is addressed through a range of genres in two broad areas, classroom-based genres with their sub-skills, and “real-world” genres.
Please check the department’s complete course listing for a detailed list of Level V courses.
Visitors to this website are also encouraged to explore actual sample syllabi and the “Assessment” page with its overall policy statement regarding general assessment practices, level-specific assessment considerations, and specific approaches to the assessment of writing across Levels I – IV.
August 11, 2004; revised May 2016